[2] Muhammad V's father and predecessor, Yusuf I, was murdered suddenly in 1354 while at prayer in the congregational mosque of Granada, by a civilian described as a "madman".

[4] Muhammad V's reign was interrupted by a palace coup in August 1359 that placed his half-brother, Isma'il II (r. 1359–1360), on the throne.

With his fortunes turning for the worse, Muhammad VI, reportedly on the advice of his allies, surrendered himself to Peter of Castile and asked for mercy.

Under his rule, Nasrid diplomacy was exceptionally effective, even amidst the convoluted politics of the Iberian Peninsula in this era.

[10] Muhammad V, in turn, used these Christian attacks to solicit materials and funds from Musa II, the Zayyanid sultan in Tlemcen.

[10] When Peter was assassinated in 1369, leaving Castile in further chaos, Muhammad V took advantage of the situation to recapture Algeciras that year.

[15] Among his domestic reforms, Muhammad V eliminated the office of the shaykh al-ghuzat, the chief of the Ghazis, in 1370, placing the Zenata troops under the direct command of the Nasrid family for the first time.

[17] His reign was also a high point of cultural exchange with the Castilian court of Peter in Seville, who built his palace in the Alcazar in the style of Granada's art and architecture.

[18] He also rebuilt the Mexuar section and refurbished the Comares Palace, including the creation of the ornate entrance façade in the Patio del Cuarto Dorado ('Courtyard of the Gilded Room').